Since the end of 2016, we’ve seen a huge rise in demonstrations and protests. Whether it’s the Women’s March or the recent teacher walkouts in numerous states, seeing so much activism has been incredible. KT Tunstall clearly feels the same way. To honor all the brave people taking the streets in recent months, Tunstall teamed up with Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and Thunderpussy’s Leah Julius for a cover of the late Tom Petty‘s classic hit “I Won’t Back Down.”
Tunstall perfectly captures the spirt of defiance in Petty’s hit in her vocals. “I Won’t Back Down.” Naturally, McCready does a killer job on the guitar rifts and Julius provides the backbone of the song on the drums. The cover pays homage to the fantastic song Petty wrote while also adding in Tunstall’s trademark folksy rock and impeccable skill.
“I Won’t Back Down” also received a music video. After a text introduction going over the inspiration for the cover, we see Tunstall, McCready, and Julius in the studio during the recording process. This is spliced over photos and footage that fans sent in from some of the biggest protests over the last few years. It’s an inspiring, moving video, and a reminder that we will not back down when it comes to battling the wrongs in the world.
You can watch the video for KT Tunstall, Mike McCready, and Leah Julius’ cover of “I Won’t Back Down” above.